The police baton-charged the protesters in order to clear the road. Clashes broke out at the scene. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/FILE

LAHORE:

Jail Road was blocked for several hours on Wednesday as the police clashed with protesting paramedics demanding pay protection and a new allowance.

Punjab Paramedical Alliance (PPA) Chairman Malik Munir said that the chief minister, after earlier protests, had promised that they would get a health professional allowance, pay protection and a new service structure, but this hadn’t happened yet.

He said that the PPA had called a meeting to discuss its future strategy to press the government to accept their demands.

The traffic load on Jail Road had already been higher than usual because other major roads in the city are closed for development projects. The PPA protest caused heavy traffic jams around Lahore.

The police baton-charged the protesters in order to clear the road. Clashes broke out at the scene.

Eleven members of the PPA were arrested and later released on the intervention of Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique.